Electric signal for electric railways



T. C. MACALLISTER.

ELECTRIC SlGNAL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-31,1921- Patented. Nov. 211, 19?2, I

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

-T. C. II/IAcALLISTER.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-31, I92!- PMJOIIIBIII'NOV. 21, 1922.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

' earn STATES THOMAS CRAWFORD MACALLISTER, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC BAILWAYS.

Application filed August 31, 1921. Serial No. a97,&07.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS CRAWFORD MAoAmsrnn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the town of Stratford, county of li airfield, Stateof Connecticut. have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Signals for Electric Railways, of which the following is afull, clear, and complete disclosure.

The object of my invention is to provide a system of signal lights onelectric cars, whereby the crews and other occupants of two or more carstravelling in opposite directions on the same track, will be warned ofthe impending danger.

A further object of my invention is to operate the signal lights fromthecar itself, by means of external rails and wires, with which partscarried by the car engages to complete the circuits.

A further object of my invention is to so arrange the apparatus andcircuits, that any number of cars can travel in the same direction onthe same track, without opcrating the signal lights.

A further object of my invention is to so arrange the apparatus andcircuits, that when a number of cars are travelling in the samedirection on the same track, and are opposed by cars coming in theopposite direction on the same track, that the signal lights willoperate on all of the cars in volved.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide a system of signallights on electric cars, that will obtain their energy from the powerequipment now generally used on electric railways, without disturbingsaid equipment.

Briefly, my invention comprises the connection of sliding shoes to thetruck frames of electric cars and insulated therefrom, which by means ofcertain circuits located on the cars are electrically alive, and formthe beginning of a circuit, the completion of which depends upon theposition of certain rails adjacent to the track, and the position ofother cars on the same track, said circuit is connected to a series ofsignal lights controlled by a switch connected to said series.

It also comprises the use of rollers connected to the roofs of electriccars'and insu-' lated therefrom, which by means of certain circuitslocated on the cars are electrically alive and forms the beginning of a,circuit,

the completion ofwhich depends upon the position of certain wiressuspended externallyabove the car and the position of other cars on thesame track, said circuit is connected to a series of signal lightscontrolled by a switch connected to said series.

F or a full, clear, and exact description of my improved signal lightsystem, reference may be had to the following specification and to theaccompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which- Fig. 1- is adiagrammatic plan view of one form of my improved signal light system,showing sliding shoes in contact with the external rails adjacent to thetrack, and also showing signal light circuits connected to each shoe andswitch controlling same, also how the circuits are completed when twocars run in opposite directions on the same track.

Fig. 2 is an elevated view of the same form of my invention, showing howthe signal lights are arranged on each car, and the position of thesliding shoes on each car and how they come in contact with the adjacentrail and how one of the circuits is completed when two cars oppose eachother on the same track.

Fig. -3 is a diagrammatic plan view of another form of my improvedsignal light system, showing two cars going in oppositedirections on thesame track, and equipped with rollers on their respective roofs and alsoshowing how the circuits are completed by means of external overheadwires, running parallel with the track coming in contact with all of therollers involved, showing the location of the switch controlling signallights.

Fig. 4 is an elevated View of this form of my invention, showing theposition of the rollerson thereof of the car and how they come incontact with the external wires, also showing how said wires aresuspended from arms or brackets extended from the usual overheadsupporting poles, and showing the course of the current and the positionof the switch.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1- A and B refers to two trolley carstravelling in opposite directions on the same tra k. it will be noticedthat they are equipped with twocollecting poles each, 6 and 7 and 33 and34:,

and with two hooks each 13 and 12 and 36 and 37 said hooks to hold saidpoles in place when not in use, this being the usual man= ("iii ner inwhich all modern trolley cars are equipped as any one familiar with suchapparatus will readily understand.

\Vire 3 is the overhead trolley wire, receiving its: current from thepower house -1- by means of feeder 2 the current being returned throughthe medium of the car mechanism to track rails 18 and 19 to the returnconductor 17 to the power house -1-.

It will be seen from the drawings that both poles of a car areelectrified when either pole of said car is on the overhead trolley wire3, as shown on cars A and B in Fig. 1 pole 7 on car A is alive becauseit is in contact with pole 6 by means of the connecting wire 26, andpole 33 on car B is likewise alive because it is in contact with pole 34by means of connecting wire 35, at the same time the hooks engaged inholding the disengaged poles fast down to the roofs of the cars, will beelectrified as in the case 01 book 12 which is holding pole 7 on car Afast down and in the case of hook 36 which is holding pole 33 on car Bfast down.

It will be seen that to each hook on each car is electrically connecteda sliding shoe, shoes 16 and 10 are connected to hooks 13 and 12 on carA and shoes 48 and 40 are con nected to hooks 36 and 37 on car B wires14 and 11 forming the connection on car A and wires 49 and 39 formingthe connection on car B also that to each slidii' gshoe is connected asignal light circuit as in the case of light circuit 15 which isconnected to sliding shoe 16, and circuit 9 which is connected tosliding shoe 10. Both light circuits are controlled by the switch 8 oncar A, the same connections are seen on car B as in the case of lightcircuit 47 which is connected to sliding shoe 48 and with circuit 38which is connected to sliding shoe 40 both light circuits beingcontrolled by the s lt'Cll 41; it will also be noticed that each slldingshoe is in contact with a set of'auxiliary rails 4 and adjacent to thetrack which completes the circuits from one car to the other; as followsAs the cars A and BFig. -1 are traveling in opposite directions on thesame track, a series of signal lights are illuminated on each car saidlights being colored red by preference, from the overhead trolley wire3' the current is collected by pole 6 on car A and through the medium ofconnecting wire 26 electrifies pole 7 which being held down fast to theroof by hook 112 which through said contact also becomes electrified andcarries the current through connecting wire 11 to shoe which being incontact with the adjacent rail 5 electrifies same which in turn carriesthe current to sliding shoe 40 on car B which being in electricalconnection with signal light circuit 38 which on account of switch 41being snapped to a position to connect said circuit with the ground wire55 causes the signal lights 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 to illuminate, thetrack rails 18 and 19 being the manner in which the current is returnedto the power house -1-- by means of conductor 17, at the same time thesignal lights on circuit on car A are illuminated in the followingmanner, as pole 34 is collecting current from the overhead trolley wire3 it transmits the current by means of connecting wire to pole and asthe same is held down to the car roof by hook 36 said hook becomeselectrified the current being carried by connecting wire 49 to thesliding shoe 48 which being in contact with the adjacent rail 4electrifies same which in turn carries the current to sliding shoe 16 oncar which being electrically connected to signal light circuit 15 and asthe switch 8 is snapped to a position to connect said circuit 15 to theground wire 27 the signal lights 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32 illuminated, theground wire 27 returni, the current to the track rails 13 and 19 to thepower house 1 by means of the conductor 1'? it will thus be see.. thatthe signal. lights are illuminated on each car at 'JZQCiS'BlY the sametime.

It will be noticed from the drawings that when a collecting pole is onthe overhead trolley wire 3 as shown in 2- that the hook used to holdsaid pole fast down to the car roof will be electrically dead on accountof being disengaged from pole, as in the case of trolley pole 24 andhook 34 on car D, as the pole24 is on the overhead trolley wire 3 anddiseng d from hook 34 said hook having no else i cal connection withsaid pole is dead electrically and as a result the connecting wire 25the light cir cuit 26 and the sliding shoe 39 becomes the receiving shoeand circuit ofrny signal systern, as the switch 27 is snapped to. aposition to connect light circuit terminal with the ground or negativewire 28 the current is carried tothe truck frame 37 to the track rail 5to conductor 13 to the power house -1 the circuit-26 being completedwhen the sliding shoe 39 is electrified by a current sent through theadjacent rail 4 from the opposing car. C causing the signal lights E29,30, 31, 32 and to illuminate on car D. v

It will also be noticed that as the trolley pole 9' on car C is on theoverhead trolley wire 3 it is electrically alive and carries the currentthrough the connecting wire 10 to pole 11 which being held East down tocar roof by hook 152 eloctrifies same and sends the current throughconnecting wire 13. to sliding shoe 15 which through said connectionbecomes alive and as light circuit 14 is connected to said sliding shoe15 both said shoe and said. circuit becomes the sending shoe and circuitof my signal system, the

signal lights 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20' of said sending circuit will failto illuminate on account of the switch 7 being snapped to a positionopposite to light circuit terminal 41 disconnecting said terminal fromthe ground or negative wire 6 attached to the truck frame 35, at thesame time the sliding shoe 15 being alive transmits the current to theadjacent rail 4 which being in contact with sliding shoe 39 on car Delectrifies said shoe and transmits the current to light circuit 26causing the signal lights on car D to illuminate as explained above.

As this form of my signal system can only be used on private right ofway track, on account of the adjacent rails to the track being alivewhen in contact with the sliding shoes attached to the cars and wouldtherefore be a menace to the walking public, Figures 3 and 4 showanother form of my improved signal system, using overhead auxiliarywires suspended above the roofs of the cars for transmitting thecurrentfrom one car to the other, said wires coming in contact with rollersfastened securely to the roofs of the cars, this form of my signalsystem taking the place of the adjacent rails to the track and of thesliding shoes attached to the truck frames of the cars as shown inFigures 1 and 2 and leav ing the track free from danger.

Fig. -3 shows two cars E and F traveling in opposite directions on thesame track equipped with the second form of my signal system, thesignals being operated as follows- As the pole 5 on car E is on theoverhead trolley wire 4 it carries the current through connecting wire33 to the pole 6 which be ing held fast down to the car roof by the hook20 causes same to become electrified which in turn sends the current.through connecting wire 21 to the roller 19 electrify ing same which inturn transmits the current to auxiliary wire 9 through said aux iliarywire to the roller 39 on car F which in turn transmits the current tolight circuit and as the switch 47 is in connection with light circuitterminal 46 connecting same with the ground or negative wire 49 andsending the current through the track rails 7 and 8 to the conductor 3to the power house 1. thereby completing the circuit and causing thesignal lights 41, 42, 43, 44 and on car F to illuminate at the same timethe signal lights on car E are operated in the following. manner, aspole 36 on car F is on the overhead trolley wire 4 which is receivingthe current through the feeder 2 from power house -1 said polecollecting the current and sends it through connecting wire 35 to pole34 electrifying same which being held fast down to the car roof by hook58 electrifies said hook which in turn sends the current throughconnecting wire 57 to the roller 56 the current to light circuit 17 andas theswitch 15 is in connection with light circuit terminal 14connecting same with the ground or negative wire 16 which in turntransmits the current to the track rails 7 and 8 the current returningthrough the said rails to the conductor 3 and to the power house -1thereby completing the circuit and causing the signal lights 28, 29, 30,31 and 32 on car E to illuminate and it will be noticed that the switch15 on car Elias been snapped to a position to engage light circuitterminal 14 thereby releasing light circuit terminal 27 from anyconnection with ground or negative wire 16 and as a result the signallights 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 of the sending circuit 18 fail toilluminate showing that there will be no signal lights illuminated onlyas described above and as all cars are wired identically alike the sameresults will be noticed on car F where the switch 47 has been snapped toa position to engage light circuit terminal 46 thereby releasing lightcircuit terminal 48 from any connection with the ground or negative wire49 and as a result the Sig-- nal lights 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54 fail toilluminate, showing that there will be no signal lights illuminated onlyas described above.

Fig. 4 shows the method of holding the auxiliary wires 16 and 17 in astationary position above the roof of the car, by means of the arms orbrackets 18 and 19 which are securely fastened to the overheadsupporting poles 34 and 35, said arms or brackets are placed at acertain height above the track rails 37 and 38 and in such a positionthat the auxiliary wires 16 and 17 will engage the rollers 11 and 12when the car is propelled beneath said wires.

The span wire 36 is the usual. manner of suspending the overhead trolleywire 4, which collects the current from the power house 1 by means offeeder 3, pole 5 collecting the current from the overhead trolley wire4, said current is returned through the car mechanism to the truck frame39 to conductor 2 and back to the power house 1-.

Light circuits 13 and 14 show the manner in which the signal lights arein electri cal connection with the rollers 11 and 12, light circuit 14is the receiving circuit as the roller 12 which is connected to hook 10by means of connecting wire 9 is dead as the pole 5 is disengaged fromthe said hook 10, and as the switch 26 is snapped to a position toconnect light circuit terminal 27 with ground or negative wire 33 thesignal lights 28 29, 30, 31 and 32 will illuminate the instant auxiliarywire 17 is electrified by a nal 27 and it will be noticed that circuit13 is electrified as it is connected to the roller 11 which is connectedto hook 7 by means of the connecting wire 15, hook 7 being in contactwith the pole 8 which is connected by wire 6 to pole 5 which is incontact with overhead trolley wire 4.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An electric signal lightsystem for electrio railways in suburban service whose lines traverseaprivate right of way, two external rails extending the full length ofthe block and running parallel with the track, one laid on each side ofsame, two partial circuits carried by the car, each including a seriesof lights their source of energy being alternate according to therelative positions of the overhead power collectors and-their fasteninghooks and of the position of a switch also carried by the car andcontrolling the negative or ground return of said circuits, two slidingshoes fastened to the truck frames of the car and insulated therefrom,which co-operate with the external rails extending along the track,whereby when two or more cars Similarly equipped enter the block fromopposite directions the occupants of each car will be warned of theimpending danger, by a series of lights illuminating in each of therespective cars, said lights operating as long as each respective cartravels in directions mentioned.

2. An electric signal light system for electric railways in interurbanservice whose lines traverse the public highway, two eX ternal wires,suspended from arms or'brackets attached to the usual supportingequipment along the track and extending the entire length of the block,parallel with the track one on each side of same, two partial circuitscarried by the car, each including a series of lights their source ofenergy being alternate, according to the relative positions of theoverhead power collectors and their fastening hooks and of the positionof a switch also carried by the car and controlling the negative orground return of said circuits, two rollers fastened to the car root andinsulated therefrom, which cooperate with the suspended wires which eX-tend along the track above the car roof, whereby when two or more carssimilarly equipped enter the block from opposite directions theoccupants of each car will be warned of the impending danger, by'aseries of lights illuminating in each of the respective cars, saidlights operating as long as each respective car travels in thedirections mentioned.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this day of June. 1921.

THOMAS CRAWFORD MacALLlSTER. Witnesses:

JOHN GALLAGHER, JOHN H. FARRELL.

